The College Process: Survival of the Truest
The ever-present shadow of the college preparation process looms indiscriminately over all high school students. Some students start researching colleges before entering middle school and others choose to wait until Junior Year. Some of us want to plot out our academic lives in an orderly and predictable way while others are very comfortable with the uncertainty of the future. Neither is right or wrong and most of us fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. What is true for most of us is that we strive for the best grades, best academic successes, best stage performances, best athletic performances, and best service opportunities, to name just a few. Of course, we recognize the value of each of these things as they relate to college applications and well roundedness. However, the “golden ticket” of the high school experience is to maintain a healthy balance between the pursuit of one’s academic/extracurricular goals and enjoying high school. Making it even more difficult is the reality that balance may be trumped by needs such as sleep, a night out with friends, parental support, life skills, and miscellaneous hobbies. Still, somewhere in the back of our still-under-developed collective brains we imagine college admission officers sorting through stacks of high school transcripts. We hope that ours will be the one that jumps out of the pile and is stamped “authentic,” thereby keeping our application packet alive, at least until the next sorting session. However, it is very important to be true to yourself and avoid the imposter syndrome, better known as transcript polishing, all together. At Derryfield, we are lucky to have an encouraged culture of balance and planning.
As a freshman, it is suggested that you spend the majority of your time enjoying high school rather than thinking about college. Some will explore college information online and begin very early. However, establishing one’s roots in the upper school is important to your future college pursuit as well. Learning the skills of keeping a schedule, planning, and time management are all extremely important. Connections with friends and the school community are high priorities as well. Your interests and contributions to the school are goals a freshman wants to set right off the line, preparing yourself for the increased intensity of the coming years.
Sophomores have a slightly wider breadth of academic choices. Learning what is enough without being too much is one of the common challenges that comes with this year. Trial and error is often the path most traveled. How else can you know? Arts, athletics, clubs, and volunteering are all building a sophomore’s transcript and your depth of interests. However, with the process of setting oneself up for college, stress follows. A current Derryfield senior, Katherine Kittler, described the misconceptions of the college process, emphasizing, “Take classes that you want to take, don't take classes or a bunch of activities you don't like but think the colleges want to see that. Fun fact- They don't. Colleges want to see you, and if you are taking a bunch of science courses when you love English because you think that is what is going to get you into college then that isn't an accurate representation of yourself.” In other words, be yourself, but be yourself to your fullest capacity. Other opportunities to think about include the earliest PSAT or early college visits. Course planning for the coming years is another helpful step to aid lowering stress levels. This could include an advisor meeting in an effort to determine what subjects you would like to explore more than others. Doubling up on sciences, language arts, technology, or any specific interest are among the list of possibilities. Once senior year arrives, students have almost a free range of topics and subjects they can explore and take in bulk. Determining this in advance will help you feel more secure about what the future will bring.
Junior year kickstarts the college process. The majority of current Derryfield seniors began their serious college process engagements during their junior year. When asked about the preparation process of junior year, Ryan Quinlan, a Derryfield senior, noted, “Evaluating which type of school I'd like was a big part of it (big vs. small, tech or liberal arts, etc.). I also began to think about testing requirements - it was so helpful coming into senior year already knowing my SAT and subject test scores while everyone else was frantically doing them.” Therefore, juniors should begin to gather their college lists, visit colleges, and begin preparing for the impending PSAT, SAT, and ACT testing to best prepare for senior year. The college counseling department is actively involved this year, preparing students for the collegiate road ahead. When asked about the tool of the college counseling office, Derryfield senior, Max Curtin, noted, “They are so helpful! If you make an effort, then they will always match that effort. All of them are great about answering questions and offering great opportunities to get ahead of the game. They make these crazy months less stressful because they are so good at what they do!” Along with testing, college visits, and working in tandem with the college office, junior year is maximized and senior year is substantially more manageable. In addition, job shadowing and career investigation will help juniors form a better idea of what they would like to pursue and where. Casey Frost, a Derryfield junior, emphasized this when discussing her real estate internship this past summer: “Being in a business environment helped me with my professional social skills which could help me down the road anywhere throughout my career as a student and an employee.” This year in one’s high school career is crucial to success moving forward.
Seniors must take a deep breath in and a long exhale to combat the anxiety of looming college applications. However, with Mr. Barnard, Ms. Flagg, Ms. Connelly, and Mr. Berk at the ready, they will be guided and they will land exactly where they should according to their desires and aspirations. Derryfield Senior, Ryan Quinlan, offered his two cents on the college process as a senior, imploring, “As long as you know yourself and stay positive, you'll be happy no matter where you go. Don't get stressed. Seriously.” Know yourself. That is a major component of senior year. Knowing what transcript one has built and the ideal traits one looks for in a college shapes the year for a senior. In the words of Mr. Berk, “If you haven’t been listening, listen now.” Listening? Okay. Spencer Neville, a Derryfield Senior, emphasized this important point in the college application process, stating, “I started my essay over the summer and that was a huge help. Having it practically done before the school year started was a huge help and caused for a lot less stress. I can't even imagine writing it on top of everything else going on this year.” Plan ahead! With proper planning and time management, the world of a senior is much kinder and frankly, much more fun.
Overall, the college process is truly just a discovery of who you are and which college admission boards you want to convey your discovery to. As a Derryfield student, you are constantly being guided on how to best do so. All you have to do is listen, learn, and execute.
Ian Davis is a sophomore at Derryfield and is a Staff Writer for Lamplighter.